The Sickly Beauty and Her Guide Leopard - Chapter 32

First, the fruit induces heat in both humans and beasts.

Second, beasts do not fall unconscious after consuming it.

Third, whether humans fall unconscious after consumption depends on the circumstances. For now, we’ll assume Chang Chi isn’t lying. Chang Chi didn’t want to sleep, and neither did Zhang Yuan. That leaves Yan Qingshuang’s previous unconsciousness—whether it was caused by the fruit remains to be verified.

Fourth, I’ve eaten this fruit myself, so why didn’t I react? Am I some kind of chosen beast with extraordinary resistance?

Forget about myself for now. Jian Li, using both hands and feet, managed to summarize four key points. The limited number of human test subjects made it impossible to accurately determine the fruit’s effects.

A sudden thought struck Jian Li: I should gather more fruit and conduct further experiments!

But who would be the test subjects?

Jian Li scratched her paw pad and exclaimed, “Ah!” Hua Feiyi and Long Qianmeng would be good candidates. As for Yan Qingshuang, whether to have her continue eating the fruit remained to be discussed.

Thinking of Yan Qingshuang, Jian Li checked the time. It was almost evening, and she should head home.

She sent Yan Qingshuang a message: I’ve finished my mission and I’m coming home now.

Yan Qingshuang replied: I just arrived. You’ll see me as soon as you come out.

Jian Li: How did Little Shuang know I was coming home now?

Yan Qingshuang: It’s a secret.

Still playing guessing games? How childish, Jian Li thought, and replied: Then I’m ignoring you.

Suddenly, a voice called out to Jian Li, “Hey, what are you laughing at? You look like an idiot.”

Jian Li let out an “Ah!” and looked up at Murong Zheng. “At least I’m smarter than you. Steward Zhang is bullying you—why don’t you fight back? You’re so useless.”

Murong Zheng yanked at her iron chains. “You think I don’t want to?! These Beast-Binding Chains suppress my powers every day. I can only use a fraction of my demonic energy, barely enough to transform between human and raccoon forms.”

Jian Li leaned closer to examine the chains, but didn’t dare touch them, afraid of being electrocuted. After all, she had given the fruit to the Little Raccoon, indirectly causing her to lose her innocence.

I should at least try to make amends, she thought. She told the Little Raccoon, “Zhang Yuan said she never wanted to see you again, but I managed to get her here. You two need to sort things out.”

After the two beasts agreed on a time, Jian Li would also come to assist Murong Zheng.

By the time Jian Li emerged from the dungeon, the tension in her neck had already eased. As she climbed the final step and inhaled the fresh air, the sensation felt strangely familiar.

She had experienced the same feeling on Spirit Taming Peak while chatting with Huahua. How odd…

Before she could unravel the mystery, she spotted Yan Qingshuang standing at the entrance of the Disciplinary Hall. Dressed in a soft white robe, her dark hair cascaded down her back, her face as serene and peerless as ever.

Passing disciples, even those who noticed Yan Qingshuang carrying her Bamboo Staff, knew from the battle at Bailian Peak that her spiritual power had been restored. They greeted her respectfully, and she acknowledged them with a slight nod.

“Little Shuang! I’m here!” Jian Li called out, sprinting forward. Moving too fast to stop, she crashed straight into Yan Qingshuang’s arms.

Yan Qingshuang crouched down, wrapping her arms around the little spiritual beast, and smiled. “You’ve worked hard.”

“Not at all!” Jian Li replied. “I earned 300 Spirit Stones and made a new friend!”

“A friend from the dungeon?” Yan Qingshuang asked.

Jian Li explained everything, omitting only the details of her conversation with the Demon Race.

When Jian Li mentioned the Red Fruit, she straightened up and bowed deeply to Yan Qingshuang, apologizing profusely. Observing Yan Qingshuang’s expression, she sensed that her friend wasn’t holding a grudge.

Raising her paw in a pledge, Jian Li vowed, “Little Shuang, I promise I’ll never feed you wild fruits again. I’m so sorry for making you suffer.”

Yan Qingshuang led her onto the Celestial Crane, their destination the Dining Hall. “Even if you hadn’t given it to me, I still would have fallen ill. It’s alright.”

“But the pain is unbearable! You were writhing in agony, almost…” Jian Li trailed off, unable to voice the word “transforming.” When distressed, she often dug her claws into her paw pads.

Yan Qingshuang replied calmly, “I’m used to it.”

Jian Li frowned, pressing her three-lobed lips together. The vivid memory of Yan Qingshuang’s excruciating pain resurfaced in her mind.

She tugged at Yan Qingshuang’s hand. “You shouldn’t get used to pain. It’ll damage you psychologically.”

“Was the fruit’s only effect really to make you faint? Or did you say that just to comfort me?”

Yan Qingshuang lowered her eyelids and paused before answering truthfully, “It did have a remarkable effect in alleviating the pain. As for fainting, that sometimes happens during my attacks, even without the fruit.”

“I knew you were afraid I’d worry, so you weren’t telling me the whole truth,” Jian Li said. “Little Shuang, let’s just eat. I don’t want you to be in pain.”

Yan Qingshuang replied truthfully, “I’m not sure. It doesn’t hurt as much as before, but… I feel other things.”

Based on how others reacted after eating the Red Fruit, Jian Li knew that while it relieved pain, it was undeniably a potent aphrodisiac.

That’s why the game description claimed the fruit brought both physical and mental pleasure.

Jian Li nervously lifted her paws and began picking at them. “Little Shuang, are you feeling… that?”

Yan Qingshuang’s lips curved into a smile. “Feeling what?”

Jian Li stamped her foot impatiently. “You know, that! That feeling!”

Yan Qingshuang casually separated Jian Li’s paws and gently stroked the pads, now scratched raw. “Mm, I feel that. I get very hot—extremely hot—and I can’t control myself.”

Jian Li’s head swam at her touch. “I’ll help you cool down,” she blurted out.

Yan Qingshuang chuckled softly. “You’re still so young… you don’t understand.”

Jian Li froze, belatedly realizing she had offered to relieve Yan Qingshuang’s heat. Her ears twitched.

“I… I think I understand a little…” Her voice grew weaker with each word. Whether it was eating pork or watching pigs run, she had no personal experience with anything related to s3x.

In her previous life, she had been too busy earning a living to pay attention to conversations about s3x. Whenever people around her mentioned “getting laid” or similar topics, she would tune them out completely. After all, what did any of that have to do with her?

Jian Li felt an immense burden on her shoulders. Not only did she have to support Yan Qingshuang’s cultivation, but now she also had to help her with her physical needs.

She tentatively asked, “Little Shuang, heat has a corresponding opposite: cold. Aren’t there cultivators whose spiritual power manifests as ice?”

Before she could finish, Yan Qingshuang interrupted, her tone growing colder. “Ice Spiritual Root. Xiao Li wants me to beg them for help.”

“You misunderstand. It’s not about begging,” Jian Li said. “I have a little money now—I sold the fruit for 12,000. I can arrange for them to…”

She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. Her throat felt as if it were stuffed with cotton. She tried several times, but she still couldn’t calmly tell Yan Qingshuang.

Yan Qingshuang gently rubbed her ear and said softly, “Mm, to engage in Dual Cultivation with me.”

A wave of heartache washed over Jian Li, leaving her stunned.

Yan Qingshuang’s nonchalant tone reminded Jian Li that in this world, Dual Cultivation was likely commonplace. She curled into a ball, lost in thought.

Yan Qingshuang was right. At this point, it was the only solution.

Jian Li couldn’t bear to see Yan Qingshuang in pain. If she fed her the fruit, she would inevitably face heat, leaving her with no other recourse.

She was just a Little Snow Leopard, not a human.

Burying herself in her tail like a turtle withdrawing into its shell, Jian Li asked, “Do you want to Dual Cultivate with them?”

Yan Qingshuang replied indifferently, “I don’t mind. Whatever makes you happy.”

“How could that possibly make me happy?” Jian Li snapped. “Do you think I want to watch you suffer all night, half-dead?!”

“I’m used to the pain,” Yan Qingshuang said calmly. “If you believe Dual Cultivation with them would bring you peace of mind, then I’ll do it.”

“You…” Jian Li’s chest tightened with anger. She lifted her head, meeting Yan Qingshuang’s cold gaze beneath the white silk. “You’re being cruel! Do you have no conscience? How dare you use such words to torment me!”

Yan Qingshuang smiled, her soft hand gently touching Jian Li’s stomach. “Are you hungry? Let’s go to the Dining Hall for dinner.”

Jian Li furiously slapped Yan Qingshuang’s arm, crying out, “Get away! Don’t touch me! Go practice Dual Cultivation with them! I’m so happy for you!”

Yan Qingshuang endured the blows, her hand bearing vivid red welts. She pulled out a handkerchief and carefully wiped Jian Li’s tear-streaked face.

According to the rules, Celestial Cranes shouldn’t interfere with their passengers’ affairs, but she couldn’t bear to listen any longer. This was the first time she’d carried such a noisy passenger.

“Little Spiritual Beast, I know a Cultivator with an Ice Spiritual Root.”

Jian Li, already simmering with anger, snapped at the Celestial Crane’s ill-timed remark. “If you say those three words again, I’ll report you to the Internal Affairs Hall!”

The Celestial Crane protested innocently, “But Guest, you can’t report me for that!”

“Then don’t say them! I hate those three words.”

The two creatures conversed in Beast Speech, which Yan Qingshuang could only partially understand. She asked, “Which three words do you hate?”

“Secret,” Jian Li replied.

Yan Qingshuang quickly realized, “Xiao Li is holding a grudge.”

Jian Li resisted the urge to look at Yan Qingshuang, sulking, “What grudge? Who knows what methods you used to secretly follow me? You even knew when I finished my mission.”

Yan Qingshuang fell silent, letting Jian Li scold her without protest.

By the time Jian Li finished her rant, her throat was dry, but Yan Qingshuang remained composed, as if she hadn’t taken a word to heart.

She must be looking for someone with an Ice Spiritual Root and doesn’t care about me anymore, Jian Li thought, consumed by self-doubt.

After stewing in her thoughts for a while, Jian Li arrived at the Dining Hall to find Yan Qingshuang walking slowly ahead, ignoring her and leaving the Little Snow Leopard to hurry along on its short legs.

Suddenly, Yan Qingshuang turned around and crouched down, bringing them face-to-face. Jian Li held her breath. “Didn’t you say you didn’t care about me anymore? What’s this now?”

Yan Qingshuang replied calmly, “I want to hold you.”

Jian Li stared at Yan Qingshuang, the wind whipping strands of her hair across her face. Even in this chilly weather, Jian Li felt a shiver. Yan Qingshuang, dressed so lightly, was she trying to use her as a personal heater?

“You only think of me when you’re cold,” Jian Li huffed, “using my fur to warm yourself. You’re so mean.”

Yan Qingshuang chuckled softly. “I suppose I am.”

Being treated like a portable heater without even a hint of politeness made Jian Li want to scratch her. But when her eyes caught sight of the red marks on Yan Qingshuang’s hand, she startled.

Jian Li gently pulled Yan Qingshuang’s soft hand toward her. “How did I scratch you like this? Does it hurt? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It doesn’t hurt,” Yan Qingshuang replied.

Jian Li’s claws had never been trimmed, growing sharper each day. When she exerted force, they could even be used like blades.

She knew Yan Qingshuang had an exceptionally high pain tolerance, but that didn’t mean she felt nothing. Jian Li lowered her head guiltily and stuck out her tongue.

Her tongue was smooth and slick, lacking the barbs typical of felines. It resembled a rabbit’s tongue—soft, pink, and moist.

Yan Qingshuang activated her Spiritual Sense, her long lashes fluttering slightly. She didn’t stop Jian Li from licking her hand. “What are you doing, Xiao Li?”